Rumor Has It
by Darkest Desire
Summary: When Quistis misinterprets an argument she overhears betweenSeifer and Squall, she inadvertently starts a rumor that the two are together. With the whole school talking, it’s only a matter of time before Seifer and Squall find out. SeiferSquall SLASH


**Summary: **When Quistis misinterprets an argument she overhears between Seifer and Squall, she inadvertently starts a rumor that the two are together. With the whole school talking, it's only a matter of time before Seifer and Squall find out. Seifer/Squall SLASH One-Shot

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Final Fantasy VIII and am not making any money off of this or any other fic.

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**RUMOR HAS IT**

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_Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it._  
_**- Buddha**_

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"You are unbelievable! I can't believe you can be such a fucking prick!" Squall shouted in outrage toward his long time rival and sometimes friend, none other than Seifer Almasy.

"What did you want me to do? String her along, keep sleeping with her and making her think that I actually liked her or something? It wasn't working, so I dumped her. I don't know what the spoiled little princess told you, but the only thing I did wrong was to start dating that annoying little bitch in the first place. Besides, it's not any of _your_ business anyway. Just because you found out you're her long lost half-brother less than a month ago doesn't mean you have the right to sit here and lecture me," Seifer defended, suddenly feeling the need for a cigarette as it seemed that his fight with Squall wasn't even near concluded yet. He deftly drew a cigarette from his pocket along with his lighter and lit up, taking a long drag to soothe his nerves.

"So that's it? Love 'em and leave 'em, huh?" Squall responded indignantly, staring at Seifer incredulously.

By this time the fight had escalated to the point that the two were shouting at each other so loudly that half of Garden could probably have heard them if they weren't so isolated, though the two were too absorbed to notice, or even care by that point. They were in Squall's office up on the third floor, but the walls weren't sound proof and their angry words leaked out through the door.

That's how it was, inadvertently and completely accidentally of course, that Quistis happened to overhear them as she headed to Squall's office to bring him some papers he needed to sign and have a talk with him about the upcoming school year. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, really she hadn't, but she really couldn't help but hear the two as they shouted and once she heard some of what they were saying, she was so startled that she had simply frozen to the spot. Or, at least, that was her excuse and she was sticking to it.

"So what was it, just a quick fuck? And now you're just going to move on and pretend it never happened!" Squall's demanding voice drifted through the door. Quistis paled in shock as she heard this, the papers she was carrying almost falling to the ground at the overwhelming news she had just overheard. _Seifer and Squall, 'a quick fuck'? They're…lovers? Hyne! Who would have guessed? _Her mind raced and although she knew it was wrong to continue listening in, she felt unable to help herself from doing just that.

"So we slept together, big deal? It doesn't mean I want a relationship. We fucked, now it's over, end of story," Seifer spoke resolutely, seeming unapologetic. Quistis gasped as she heard this. _So they slept together and now Squall wants more but Seifer doesn't? How long has this been going on? _Quistis tried to get her mind around all of it, though she found it incredibly hard to believe.

"You are such an insensitive asshole!" Squall declared vehemently, seeming frustrated with the blonde's behavior. "You know what, just leave. Just go. There's no arguing with you because you don't listen. You _never_ listen," Squall finally spoke in resignation.

It was then that Quistis decided it best to leave. Nothing good could come of the two finding out that she had overheard them, so she quickly fled back down the hallway and into the elevator.

Pressing the button to close the door behind her, she waited a few seconds before opening it again and stepping out, pretending she had just arrived to drop off the papers. Collecting her wits about her as she schooled her features to her typical, cool mask, she walked calmly down the hallway, careful not to reveal anything that was currently going through her mind.

She passed Seifer in the hall as he stormed out of Squall's office and objectively noted the cigarette hanging out of his mouth and the fact that some of his normally perfectly gelled locks had fallen from his hairdo and were now fringing his angry features. She didn't bother saying 'hi' or anything, not that he would notice if she did in his current state anyway.

Arriving at the door leading into Squall's office, she took a deep breath before knocking lightly and proceeding to head inside upon hearing Squall's answering: "Come in."

Walking briskly up to the mahogany desk behind which Squall was sitting, she noticed one of the chairs set up for guests--or more often troublesome students--was laying on the floor, presumably knocked over by Seifer as he exited the room in a rage. Ignoring it for the moment, she set the folder she had carried up in front of Squall. "Here are the papers you need to sign," she informed him in her 'business voice,' before turning calmly and setting the fallen chair upright and proceeding to sit down upon it, crossing her legs gracefully as she did so.

Squall set to work reading the papers, head propped up by an arm whose elbow sat atop his immaculate desk, and Quistis searched for a way to approach the subject of the argument she had overheard without seeming overly knowledgeable about it.

She waited a few moments for Squall to finish examining the first document, watching as he scrawled his signature across the bottom of it with a muttered curse, before she chose to speak. "I take it you and Seifer had another argument," she stated matter-of-factly, leaving Squall no choice but to acknowledge the observation.

Letting out a frustrated sigh and scowling fiercely as he began to skim over the next paper in the rather large stack Quistis had brought him, he responded in irritation: "Yes, we did. And I _don't_ want to talk about it;" well aware of the fact that Quistis in her typical 'instructor mode' would want him to discuss it with her and relay what was bothering him.

"You know that anything you tell me won't leave this room," Quistis informed him unnecessarily, adding, almost as an afterthought: "And I'm sure that talking about it will make you feel better." She desperately hoped that Squall would open up to her for once. He had been slowly but surely starting to let his guard down when amongst the close knit group that had supported him during the war, but he was still extremely introverted, keeping everything bottled up inside rather than exposing his problems to his friends.

Squall let out an exasperated sigh, setting down his pen and ceasing to even pretend to be absorbed by the paperwork. "Listen, Quistis, I appreciate the offer, but I don't really want to talk about it, okay?" Squall pleaded, knowing that Quistis couldn't refuse his request if he asked her so nicely.

Quistis shook her head in disappointment, but resigned herself to the fact that her friend wasn't talking. "Alright, I won't force it, though I was only trying to help. If you change your mind, just know that I'm here for you, Squall. Understand?"

Squall rolled his eyes, but responded sincerely. "Yes, yes, understood. If I ever feel the need to talk about it--though Hyne only knows why I would--then you'll be the first person I'll turn to," Squall agreed, somewhat annoyed, though truly touched by Quistis' open display of the fact that she truly cared.

Deciding that it was best to leave and let Squall have some peace and quiet and deal with his fight with Seifer in whatever way he needed to, Quistis stood up, carefully pushing her chair in to rest near Squall's desk. "I suppose I should leave and let you finish that paperwork. I'll be back in a couple of hours to pick it up," she spoke in parting, waiting for Squall's acknowledging nod before exiting, her mind once again racing with all she had overheard just minutes ago.

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_A rumor without a leg to stand on will get around some other way._  
_**- John Tudor**_

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"Hey, Quisty! What cha doin'?" Selphie questioned her friend, skipping to catch up to her. She smiled merrily, peering inquisitively at Quistis's face as if it would help her figure out what the blonde was up to.

"Nothing, Selphie. I was just dropping some papers off to Squall," Quistis replied somewhat absently, continuing to head back to her classroom in her typical quick paced strides. Selphie practically had to jog to keep up with her.

"Oh? Did you _have_ to give Squally more work? 'cause I was going to see if we could all go out tonight…" Selphie trailed off, a slight pout marring her features. She paused for a second, a pensive look crossing her face, before hurrying to catch up to Quistis once again. "…Do you think it'd be all right with everyone if I invited Seifer?" Selphie suddenly asked, catching Quistis somewhat off guard.

"I don't think Squall would appreciate that very much right now," she found herself responding before she'd had the chance to stop and think about it, mentally slapping herself as she realized her mistake as Selphie suddenly pulled her to a halt just as they reached the entrance to her room.

"What do you mean, Quisty? Did something happen?" Selphie asked with a mix of curiosity and concern, her eyes going wide as she stared imploringly at her friend.

"Oh, no…just another one of their fights…You know how it is…" Quistis replied somewhat dismissively, attempting to sound natural about the whole thing. Selphie, however, wasn't buying it.

"Come on, Quisty, tell me what happened. Please?" Selphie gave her best puppy dog look to Quistis, hanging onto her shirtsleeve and glancing up at her expectantly. Quistis sighed as she got the feeling that Selphie wouldn't let go of her or leave her alone until she elaborated.

"Well, I just heard Seifer and Squall yelling at each other in Squall's office when I went to drop off the reports. I mean, I really shouldn't be saying anything…they didn't know that I was there and I really didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything…" Quistis trailed off, suddenly uncomfortable and unsure whether or not she should be saying anything. It really wasn't her place to, but it wasn't as if Selphie was going to tell anyone else, and she _was_ their friend…

"Pretty please? You _have_ to tell me now. Now I'm curious and you _know_ I won't leave you alone till you tell me what's going on. I promise not to tell anyone, SeeD's honor," Selphie replied as she held her hand over her heart, crossing her fingers in the SeeD pledge as she did so, attempting to prove that she was genuine in her statement. Quistis felt her resolve crumbling; it _would_ be nice to have someone she could discuss this with…

"Alright. But you _have_ to promise me you won't tell _anybody_ anything that I say. Not even Irvine or the rest of the gang," Quistis announced seriously, receiving an emphatic nod from Selphie, her brown bob bouncing up and down as she did so. "Okay…well, I overheard more than just one of their usual fights. I don't really know how to say this; I mean it's just so unbelievable-" Quistis paused, shaking her head as if to clear it.

"Spit it out already!" Selphie demanded impatiently, bouncing up and down in anticipation.

Glancing about the hall to make sure no one would overhear, Quistis continued: "They were having a _lover's_ spat!" Dead silence followed that statement, Selphie's eyes going impossibly wide with disbelief as she suddenly stilled in shock. It took her a minute to finally come back to her senses, a look of confusion and bewilderment visible.

"A-Are you sure?" she stuttered out, her usual hyper-activeness subdued for the time being. She gave Quistis a look as if questioning her sanity.

"Do you think that I would say it if I wasn't sure?" Quistis responded rhetorically, rolling her eyes before becoming serious once again. "Look, I know it is unbelievable, but I also know what I heard. Squall seemed really upset; he said something about how it had only been a 'quick fuck' to Seifer and Seifer totally blew him off. I think Squall wanted a relationship, but Seifer…" she trailed off, unsure how it was that she had become entangled in this mess in the first place. _Damn files. _"I don't know what to do about it."

Selphie patted her friend on the back in sympathy, attempting to console her as best she could. "I'm sure with both of us working on it we can think of some way to take care of it. I mean, we can't just let Seifer get away with treating our Squally like that!" Selphie resolved, determination crossing her features as she glared angrily at nothing in particular, though Quistis assumed that she was imagining Seifer.

"Yeah, but I don't want to meddle…" Quistis protested weakly, unsure whether their involvement would help or only make matters worse.

"Well, we can't just sit back and do nothing!" Selphie protested indignantly. "Besides, we'll be doing them both a favor," she added, nodding resolutely to herself.

Quistis could only hope that Selphie was right and that she hadn't just made a mess of everything by getting the both of them involved.

Little did the two of them know that they'd just made more of a mess of things than they could ever realize. Eavesdropping seemed to be the theme of the day.

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_A groundless rumor often covers a lot of ground._  
_**- Anonymous**_

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"Oh Hyne! You'll never _believe_ what I just overheard!" Trepe number 16 exclaimed excitedly, her brown eyes sparkling with pride at the juicy gossip she had obtained.

Trepe number 12 turned to her from where he had been chowing down on a hotdog, attempting to get a quick bite to eat before going on his rounds of Instructor Trepe watching. "Oh, come on, Lydia, just tell us already," he grumbled in irritation, glaring at the younger girl.

Huffing indignantly and crossing her arms, she conceded. "Fine, Michael, but you all might want to sit down for this," she warned, tone deadly serious as they all gave her a questioning look.

A newbie by the name of Fiona (a.k.a. Trepe number 47) hesitantly spoke up. "Umm, Lyd? We already _are_ sitting down…"

"Right, well don't say I didn't warn you," Lydia attempted to gloss over the comment, pausing dramatically before revealing her news. "Commander Leonhart and the ex Sorceress's Knight are together," she declared theatrically, waiting for the immanent gasps and gaping mouths. They never came.

Instead, Trepe number 28 gave her a confused look. "What, you mean they're like going to go duel or something?" the girl questioned, tilting her head.

Lydia sighed in frustration. "No, dimwit," she informed the girl rudely, wondering all the while how she got stuck with a bunch of morons like this lot. "They're not going to go 'duel or something,' they're _together_," she emphasized, stomping her foot in anger as comprehension still did not don on the group. "Oh for goodness sake. They. Are. Having. Sex!" she exclaimed shrilly, feeling relieved as understanding finally came to the rest of the Trepes.

The rather large group assembled around two of the round cafeteria tables went dead silent, every single mouth forming the shape of an O and eyes bugging out. Lydia found the whole display rather amusing; it almost made up for the daftness the group had shown just a few moments earlier. Almost.

"Okay, enough gawking, time to spread the word," Lydia announced, clapping her hands in joy with a malicious smile making its way onto her face. "This is too good to keep all to ourselves, so you know what to do."

The group nodded emphatically, knowing better than to piss Lydia off again in the same day. Just as the girl was about to leave and make her way back up to the second floor classroom where she now had class with Instructor Trepe, she turned back around to address the group once more.

"We all know that this information is going to cause some of the higher ups to blow their tops, so no mentioning my name in association with _any_ of this. Got it?" Lydia threatened, glaring for good measure before leaving the cafeteria at last.

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_A rumor is one thing that gets thicker instead of thinner as it is spread._  
_**- Richard Armour**_

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Irvine strolled down the hallway, leisurely making his way toward the quad where he had agreed to meet Selphie. Apparently, she needed some help with _something_, another one of her plans no doubt. He wondered what on earth he would have to be doing _this_ time.

Chuckling quietly to himself and shaking his head slightly at thoughts of Selphie, Irvine almost failed to notice the oddness of the students surrounding him. They were whispering loudly and excitedly to each other, moving from cluster to cluster and acting, well…bizarre was really the only way he could think to put it.

He wondered what it was all about, if there was some new tale passing through the rumor mill. He bet that was it. He remembered back at Galbadia G how a new bit of juicy gossip had circulated around the school on a weekly basis. Most of it, of course, was utterly ridiculous and was obviously fabricated by one of the bored cadets, although some of the tales had actually turned out to be remarkably accurate.

Curious as to what was the latest and greatest of the rumors going around Balamb G, Irvine slowed his stride, casually edging to within hearing distance of one of the gossiping groups. Pretending to be checking his pockets for something that he was afraid he had forgotten, he tried to make himself unobtrusive so that the group of girls he was trying to listen in on wouldn't get frightened off by an instructor's presence.

"You mean you hadn't heard already?" a pigtailed blonde asked her friend incredulously, as if she couldn't believe how out of the loop she was.

"No, I hadn't. I'm not as much of a gossip as you are," the brunette replied in her own defense, before reverting back to the subject at hand. "So, what did Instructor Trepe do when she found them?"

"Oh! I haven't even told you the best part yet, Suzanne! It wasn't just that she found them, but the _way _that she found them," pigtail nearly burst out in excitement.

"Just tell me already!" Suzanne replied in impatience, growing frustrated with her friend's attempt at drama.

"Alright already! Well, Instructor Trepe walked in on them while they were having sex on the Commander's desk!" the blonde practically squealed, as Suzanne stood there gaping in shock.

Irvine had heard enough by this point. Patting his pocket and looking pleased with himself, pretending that he had found what he had been looking for, he continued along his way. He wondered idly who the rumor was about. They had mentioned Quistis walking in on two people having sex, but who were the two people? And going at it on top of Squall's desk? When the Commander found out about that, he was gonna flip!

_I doubt it's true, though. But if it is…well, I feel sorry for the two sods who were daft enough to get caught, _Irvine mused to himself, chuckling slightly at the thought of Quistis going to have a quick chat with Squall and instead walking in on two of her students having sex. _She's such a prude about such things…I wonder what she'd do if it really _did_ happen…? _he wondered, pushing through the doors leading out to the quad and spotting Selphie sitting atop the stage at the far end.

She waved as she took notice of him as he walked toward her, and he tipped his hat to her in reply. She giggled at his typical display before giving him a proper greeting. "Hello, Irvy."

"Right back at ya, sugar," Irvine responded, teasing Selphie as per usual. "So, what have you got in mind this time?" he questioned the yellow-clad girl, who merely swung her feet back and forth as they hung off the stage and gave him a look of perplexed innocence.

"Whatever do you mean?" Selphie questioned, childlike confusion still worn on her face.

Irvine rolled his eyes, knowing Selphie well enough to not fall for the look. "Sephy…" he warned, crossing his arms and giving her his best exasperated look, though he secretly found her antics amusing.

Selphie giggled slightly. "Oh, alright, Irvy, I'll tell you," Selphie broke down, a smile lighting up her face. Irvine suddenly became very suspicious. "You see, Quistis accidentally found out about something today and…well, she didn't want me to tell anyone, not even you, and she made me promise not to, although she didn't notice that I was crossing my fingers behind my back so it really didn't count-" Selphie rambled, causing Irvine slight confusion as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. He cut her off before she could continue.

"Wait, you said something about Quistis finding out about something. She wouldn't by any chance have found out something about what was going on in the Commander's office, now would she?" he questioned, wondering if the rumor he had overheard could possibly have any truth to it.

"Wow, Irvine! Either you are _really_ good at guessing, or somebody already told you," Selphie exclaimed in surprise.

"I heard some cadets talking about it in the hallway," Irvine explained, causing Selphie to scratch her head in confusion.

"But, how would they have found out about it…?" Selphie asked aloud, though not really aiming the question at anyone in particular. "Well, since you already know, I guess that means that I'm not _really_ breaking my promise," Selphie reasoned happily, glad that she wouldn't have to feel bad about revealing what Quistis had told her in the strictest confidence. "Well, anyway, I don't know if you heard all of it, but Quistis told me something about how Seifer said it was just a 'quick fuck' and then Squall wanted more of a relationship, but Seifer was being his usual bastardly self. So, I think we should help Squally out by getting him and Seifer together for real this time!" Selphie announced ecstatically.

Irvine gaped. _The rumor was about Seifer and Squall! Holy Hyne! Well, this was unexpected…_"Yeah, Selph, apparently I _hadn't_ heard all of it…" Irvine attempted to explain to Selphie, feeling at a bit of a loss at what to do now. _Maybe I should go try to talk to Quistis…or Squall. _The more he thought about it, the more it boggled his mind.

"I don't know if we should meddle, Selph; I'll have to think about it," Irvine informed his friend, forcing a slight smile before turning around to leave and head up to his dorm to try and make sense of it all.

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_It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it._  
_**- Warren Buffet** _

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Seifer had become used to being pointed at and whispered about after the whole Sorceress Knight affair. But the stares that landed on him now and the constant chatter that followed him everywhere seemed a bit excessive, even for him. Had a new rumor started--maybe something about how he had tortured animals as a child or how _he_ had really been the one behind the whole evil kill-everyone-and-take-over-the-whole-damn-world plan? _Fucking gossips. _Not that he hadn't heard it all before.

But, for whatever reason, it seemed different this time. The stares didn't seem hostile--like they usually were--rather just interested and maybe even…amused? Whatever rumor was going around, it seemed to be worse than the usual ones even. _If people are making fun of me behind my back, then the little pussy that started this bullshit is going to be sorry…_

Continuing down the hall and glaring daggers at anyone who even dared to look at him, Seifer decided that a cigarette sounded really good right about now. _Too bad I already smoked my last pack earlier today after my fight with Squally boy. Fucking Ice Princess. _This meant that he would have to go into Balamb to restock. Not that he minded going into town, but it meant that he would have to ask for permission to leave from the boy wonder or one of his gang.

Figuring that Selphie would probably be the easiest, though perhaps not the least annoying, to deal with, he headed toward the most logical place to find her. The quad. _What is it she's planning now? Some lame ass talent show or something? _Not that he gave a damn or anything.

Bracing himself for the peppy rainbow and sunshine routine Selphie always had going on, Seifer shoved open the doors leading out to the quad, making sure to make a grand entrance. Spotting bright yellow on the opposite side of the quad, he smirked. _Messenger girl is always so fucking predictable…_

Spotting Seifer coming toward her, Selphie hopped up and down, waving in excitement and shouting loud enough for nearly the whole school to hear her. "Seify! I'm so glad I found you!" she exclaimed, as if she had been the one looking for him instead of the other way around.

Seifer groaned. He didn't even bother bitching at Selphie for using the stupid fucking nickname that she insisted on calling him no matter how much he complained about it. _Maybe Quistis or Irvine would have been better choices, _Seifer lamented, raising an eyebrow as Selphie came skipping over to him smiling brightly. _Fuck. Too late now…_

"I've been meaning to tell you, I'm planning for the whole Orphanage Gang, plus Rinny, to get together for dinner tonight. We're going to meet at 7:00 in Conference Room 1. You'd better come, or else I'll give you a week's worth of detention with Quisty," Selphie threatened, while still maintaining her smile. "Oh, and don't be late," she added, almost as an afterthought, wagging a finger in front of Seifer's face in a motherly manner.

Despite himself, Seifer let her treat him that way, knowing better than to say anything that might get Selphie started. He could see people staring at the scene the two of them made in amusement, and he knew he would never live down being called 'Seify' in front of so many people, but--taking a leaf from Squall's book and adding his own twist--what the fuck ever.

He would usually have cared more, but it would seem that his reputation was already shot due to whatever ludicrous rumor was currently circulating the school. So, he just stood there and took Selphie's requests, threats, and embarrassing gestures like a man--and hoped to Hyne that wind of this didn't get back to Squall.

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_There is nothing as effective as a bunch of facts to spoil a good rumor._  
_**- Unknown**_

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Slowly making his way down the hall and toward the designated rendezvous point, Squall idly wondered for about the twentieth time how he had let himself be roped into this whole get together. Persuasion truly was one of Selphie's gifts. _Of course, annoying the hell out of someone until they finally cave in is probably a more accurate description of her talent, _Squall mused wryly.

Arriving at the conference room where Selphie had told--or more accurately forced--him to come, Squall was surprised to find only three other people there yet. _Didn't Selphie say to come at 7:15? _More surprising than that, though, was the fact that Seifer was actually on time for once. _Probably had to be dragged here by Selphie, _Squall figured with slight amusement, glad that there was at least one other person that would be just as unhappy as him about being here. Of course, the fact that that person was Seifer sort of made the whole point mute.

Stepping inside the room, Squall found himself suddenly accosted by Selphie, who seemed--if possible--even more excited than usual. "Hey, Squall," she greeted with a pleasant smile. "The others haven't arrived yet, so Irvine and I are just going to go see if we can round them up," she explained, shooting Irvine a look which seemed rather suspicious to Squall. "Have fun while we're gone!" she called over her shoulder, exiting the room with Irvine in tow.

Irvine nodded in farewell as he left, closing the door behind him. There was a click and a rustling sound followed by some odd mechanical whooshes and other noises and then Seifer and Squall were left alone…together…in the same room. At least neither one of them had their gunblades with them.

"Are you sure that was such a good idea?" Irvine questioned as Selphie leaned against the closed door trying to listen in on Squall and Seifer.

All she could hear for a few moments was silence, which Seifer, of course, was the first to break. "So, Squally-boy, looks like it's just you and me now," he commented, and Selphie could hear the sound of a chair scraping and a plop. She assumed that Seifer had just sat down. Hearing the sound of booted feet landing with a careless thud on top of the conference table confirmed her suspicions.

Deciding that it was safe to leave them alone, Selphie grabbed hold of Irvine's arm and proceeded to drag him down the hallway, leaving Seifer and Squall to (hopefully) settle their problems. Or, at least, as many of them as they _could_ settle in a couple hours' time. That was, of course, if they didn't simply kill each other instead.

Selphie, remembering Irvine's earlier question about whether the whole thing was a good idea, sent Irvine a pout, seeming put out by his lack of confidence in her plan. "Well, did you have any better ideas, Irvy?" she countered about thirty seconds late.

Irvine was a bit thrown at first by her unexpected response, but after deliberating for a few seconds couldn't find anything to say in reply to that, which seemed to appease Selphie. Instead, he changed the subject. "So, how long do you think it will take them to realize they're locked in?" he wondered, frowning slightly at the thought of how pissed off both Seifer and Squall would be once they figured it out.

Selphie, however, didn't seem nearly as concerned about her well-being. "Hmm…probably about ten minutes I should think," she responded thoughtfully.

Irvine sighed. "And how angry do you think they'll be at us?" he asked the question that was really plaguing him.

"Oh, they'll be livid. But they'll get over it," Selphie replied with nonchalance, causing Irvine to briefly wonder about her sanity before remembering that he had already firmly established Selphie to be fairly off her rocker. This was the point where he questioned his own involvement in her ridiculous scheme and how he had let her rope him into yet another one.

"Do you think we should tell Quistis about this?" Irvine contemplated, trying to decide whether Quistis would be upset at them for meddling or pleased that they were trying to help Squall out.

"Umm…I don't know…maybe we should wait a while so we can make sure she won't mess up our mission," Selphie decided, before changing the subject entirely. "I'm hungry, how 'bout we go to the cafeteria and get a bite to eat," she announced, abruptly changing the direction they were heading to that which she had indicated.

Irvine shrugged in response, though he was fairly sure it had been a rhetorical question. He wasn't really in the mood to fight, plus he was starved. So he simply let Selphie haul him around as she pleased, not really bothering to pay attention to where they were going, trusting Selphie to be able to get them to the cafeteria in one piece.

Of course, maybe that hadn't been the smartest choice, Irvine realized as he felt himself collide with something. A something which turned out to be Rinoa. Reaching a hand out to help her up, Irvine hastily apologized. "Sorry, Rin, wasn't really payin' attention to where I was going," he explained.

Rinoa rolled her eyes as she dusted herself off. "It's okay, Irvine, no harm done," Rinoa assured, smiling slightly. "I was actually looking for you guys. Well, not you in particular, but just someone. Do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course not, Rinny!" Selphie exclaimed, excited at the prospect of having someone else to include in her little plot.

Irvine, however, frowned in slight confusion. "Didn't you just eat?" he asked the black haired girl.

Rinoa let out a light laugh. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't sit with you while you eat and just have a coffee or something, now does it?" she retorted playfully.

"I suppose you're right," Irvine agreed, smiling as Rinoa moved to his other side, opposite Selphie, and latched on to his arm. "Nothin' like being able to escort two beautiful ladies in front of the entire school," he remarked.

Selphie giggled before stealing his cowboy hat. Plopping it on her own head, she leaned forward so that she could speak with Rinoa. "I don't know if you've heard, but there's a rumor going around Garden about your two ex-boyfriends," Selphie began, not really sure how to break the news to Rinoa.

Rinoa, surprisingly, let out a hearty laugh. "Yes, I know. I can't believe that people actually _believe_ such rubbish. Of course, I can't really blame Quistis for her misunderstanding, I suppose. But _still_…" Rinoa trailed off, shaking her head slightly in befuddled amusement. "Really, I know I shouldn't have told Squall about Seifer and I, and I realized after I'd calmed down a bit that he would probably confront Seifer about the situation, but never in a million years did I ever think that the whole thing would result in--well, you've heard the rumors," Rinoa finished, finding the whole thing utterly absurd, though still quite funny once you thought about it.

Selphie and Irvine exchanged a worried look. What on earth was Rinoa talking about? Selphie was the one to broach the question that was on both their minds. "Umm…Rinny? What was that about telling Squall something about you and Seifer?"

Rinoa paused in her stride, suddenly sobering. "Oh, I would have thought Quistis would have told you by now. Well, you know how Seifer and I had a…_thing_ a few years back?" Rinoa paused, waiting for Selphie and Irvine's answering nods. "Anyway, last night I went over to Seifer's dorm to see if he wanted to watch a movie with me or something and, to cut the story short, one thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together," Rinoa stopped again, blushing slightly and obviously embarrassed. "I thought it meant that Seifer wanted to get back together, but he said that it was just a one night stand and, of course, I was upset. So, I went and ranted to Squall about it and he obviously got in a fight about it with Seifer, which ended up starting this whole rumor about them."

Irvine and Selphie stood there in shock, brains trying to process what Rinoa had just told them. Both of them were thinking about the exact same thing: _Holy fucking Hyne! What the hell have we done and what do we do now!_

**--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--**

_ Trying to squash a rumor is like trying to unring a bell._  
_**- Shana Alexander**_

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"How many times do I have to tell you, 'I'm sorry'?" Quistis complained to both Seifer and Squall, feeling guilty, yet unfairly singled out. "I didn't mean to listen in, but what I accidentally overheard made it sound like…well, you know. I only told _one_ person about the whole thing, which was Selphie. So, once again, I have _no idea_ how it got around the whole school."

Squall didn't seem appeased by that explanation in the least, utterly horrified and humiliated as he was. Seifer, too, seemed pissed, though his anger at the whole student body thinking he and Squall were lovers was fighting with his pleasure at seeing Squall so upset.

Knowing that it would piss Squall off more than anything else, Seifer let out a loud chuckle at the brunette's expense. Predictably, Squall turned on him. "I don't know what the hell you find so amusing about this situation!" Squall fumed, glaring daggers at his rival.

"Squall, unlike you, I can appreciate the irony of the whole situation…and take pleasure in pissing you off," Seifer spoke casually, smirking as he noticed that his answer had served his intended purpose, which was to raise Squall's ire even more.

Rinoa quickly intervened before the situation could get out of hand. "Look, it really doesn't matter whose fault it is or anything," she tried to reason, receiving a glare from Squall in response. "What we need to focus on now is how to make sure the students know the rumor isn't true," she finished, unsure if her proposal was even possible aside from simply waiting for the whole thing to blow over and be forgotten.

Irvine let out a derisive snort, unable to help himself. "Look, Rin, no offense or anything, but we all know that's not possible. If we go around tellin' the students it's not true, then they're just gonna assume we're covering somethin' up," Irvine announced truthfully, though he knew Squall would be pissed at his conclusion.

"There must be _something _we can do. I mean, how could anyone even _believe _that rumor to begin with!" Squall demanded in what he thought was a rhetorical manner, though not everyone agreed with him on that.

Selphie and Quistis shared a slightly guilty look, while Irvine merely rose an eyebrow. Selphie, bravely, voiced her opinion on the matter. "Well, of course it was somewhat of a shock at first, but once you really stop to think about it...it sort of makes sense, you know?" Selphie revealed, quickly continuing with an explanation before Squall could blow his top.

"I mean, you guys always had this weird sort of love/hate relationship, and you're the only ones that can really get through to each other. Plus, Seifer's always calling you 'Puberty Boy' and 'Ice Princess' and stuff, Squall. And...it would be _really _hott..." she concluded, a dreamy, far off sort of look in her eyes.

Squall leveled a swift kick at her shin from his position across from her at the table, swiftly bringing her out of her dazed state of imagining him and Seifer together. Finding the whole situation even more taxing than paperwork, Squall rubbed his temples in an attempt to stave off his oncoming headache. "My head hurts and I _really _don't want to have to deal with this right now. I'm going to go lay down, and by the time I get up I expect you to have come up with at least _one _possible solution to this mess," Squall announced, sending glares around the table to let everyone know he meant business.

Point made, Squall stood, stretching his arms above his head in order to rid his back of the crick it had developed over the past couple hours of deliberating. Seifer, seeing another opportunity to piss the commander off, smirked as Squall's white tank top slid up, revealing a thin line of the pale skin of his stomach. "Oh la la," Seifer remarked, raising his eyebrows and smirking lecherously.

Squall, naturally, was not in the mood for Seifer's games. He rubbed his temples again, silently wondering if the whole world was against him and what he could have possibly done that would have pissed Hyne off this much. Sighing loudly, he sent Seifer a withering glare, not even bothering to yell at him, knowing that it wouldn't really do any good in Seifer's case anyway.

"You know, Seifer, if you keep doing shit like that, then people are going to take it as proof that the rumor is true," Zell spoke up in Squall's defense, seeing that his friend was pissed as hell.

Seifer merely shrugged in response. "Oh, come off it, Chickenwuss. People are going to believe what they want to believe anyway; might as well give them something to talk about. Besides, why should I give a shit what people think of me anyway?"

Squall shook his head slightly, knowing that Seifer secretly _did _care, though would never admit it. "Whatever...I'm leaving now," he informed the group, resorting to his typical response in his frustration with the whole situation. Turning before anyone could voice anything more, he exited the conference room, heading for his dorm.

Walking through the hallways and passing students along the way, he could hear their whispers and feel their stares following him. And it was beginning to _really _piss him off. _Stupid fucking rumor, happening now of all times. _Things had just settled down from the whole Ultimecia affair and the letting-Seifer-back-into-Garden fiasco and he had finally been able to revert back to a somewhat normal life. _Well, so much for that._

**--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--**

_Everybody says it, and what everybody says must be true.  
**- James Fenimore Cooper**_

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"Seifer, what are you doing here?" Squall deadpanned, not bothering to be angry at Seifer's unexpected, not to mention unwelcome, appearance.

The taller blonde shrugged nonchalantly, not bothering to explain as he pushed past Squall and made his way, uninvited, inside the dorm room. Having never been inside Squall's new Commander's Quarters, Seifer took a moment to look around. "Nice place you have here," he commented idly, "Sure beats the shitty set-up they have for the cadets." Plopping himself down on Squall's leather couch, Seifer took no time in making himself feel right at home.

Squall glared, unhappy with the situation, but knew that the easiest way to get rid of Seifer would simply be to hear him out. He sat down in an armchair facing the couch, giving Seifer an expectant look and knowing he would get the hint.

Seifer stalled for a moment, in what Squall could tell was nervousness, reaching inside his trench coat and drawing out a pack of cigarettes from an inner pocket. Lighting up, heedless of Squall's disapproving glare, Seifer took a few long drags before working up the nerve to proceed.

"So, this whole mess with the rumor and shit," Seifer started off in his usual eloquence: "Everyone believes it, and then there's what Selphie said…Well, it got me to thinking." Here Seifer paused, seeming to steel himself for what was to come next. "I mean, maybe they're seeing something we're not, you know? God, now I sound like Rajin," Seifer stopped again, running a hand through his gelled locks in frustration and taking in another puff of smoke. "I figure it's worth looking into, and since _you'd _never make the first move…Fuck it."

Abandoning all attempts to explain things in words to Squall, who only seemed to be getting more and more confused, Seifer opted for the nonverbal approach. Leaning forward and grabbing hold of the front of Squall's bomber jacket, Seifer pulled him forward and into an impromptu kiss before Squall could register what was happening. The brunette's eyes remained open, widening with shock as realization begin to sink in, and his mouth opened slightly as the thought to protest entered his mind, though the action only allowed Seifer's tongue entrance.

It was over before Squall could really process the fact that it had begun, and he sat there blinking in confusion as he tried to make sense of what Seifer had just done. Hesitantly raising a hand to his lips as if trying to determine whether the kiss had actually happened, the slight taste of smoke letting him know that it had, Squall sat in a daze for a few moments before reality sank in.

Gaze settling on Seifer's anxious face, waiting for Squall's reply to the kiss, Squall stiffened in his chair, his emotions swirling through him despite his efforts to push them aside. Not knowing how to deal with the situation, Squall decided that he could use some time alone to think things through.

"Get out," he spoke firmly, aiming at Seifer an emotionless stare.

Seifer seemed dissatisfied with the response, but knew Squall well enough to know that he needed some time to analyze his thoughts before reacting. Standing up from the couch, Seifer brought his cigarette to his lips once more, inhaling from it deeply, trying to settle his nerves and regain his composure before stepping out the door.

He made his way to the exit without looking back, uncertain as to whether or not he wanted to see Squall's expression at that moment. One thought kept running through his mind: _Hyne damn it! Why does messenger girl always have to be right?_

**--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--:--**

_Rumor is not always wrong._  
_** - Publius Cornelius Tacitus**_

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"I tried to tell you it was a bad idea, Selph, didn't I?" Irvine pointed out, trying futilely to convince Selphie to give up her scheming once and for all.

"Well, I suppose it wasn't the _best _of ideas," the girl conceded, though she wasn't about to give in entirely. "I _did_ have good intentions, though," she pointed out, doing her best to justify her actions.

Zell and Rinoa exchanged a look at that statement, knowing that Selphie probably _did_ have good intentions despite the way things had turned out. Trying to appease both Irvine _and _Selphie before another debate could ensue, Rinoa spoke up. "Look, Selphie, I think all Irvine is trying to say is that you should look into a situation a little more before you put one of your plans into action."

Although Irvine wanted to protest that Selphie shouldn't put one of her plans in action _period_, he settled for agreeing with Rinoa. "Yeah, Sephy, just don't jump into things before you really know what's going on," he added, hoping that for once the point would get through to Selphie.

Selphie sighed, a bit put out by the fact that everyone seemed to be ganging up on her. The normal bounce in her step was almost completely absent. "Alright, guys. Next time I'll do a bit more research before I act," Selphie promised, causing Irvine to sigh at the words 'next time.'

Quistis took note of Irvine's sigh and decided to change the subject. "Let's just get this over with. I doubt Squall will be too happy to see us, but he needs to get himself together. It's been two days and he hasn't come out once; he won't even answer his phone for goodness sake! And I doubt he has enough food in there to last him much longer," she added as an afterthought, shaking her head slightly in consternation.

"Hey, has anyone seen Seifer lately?" Zell suddenly questioned, for the first time realizing that he hadn't seen the ex-Sorceress's Knight in the past couple days either. A contemplative look crossed everyone's face as they assessed Zell's observation.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen Seifer since we had that little 'meeting' either," Rinoa concurred with what Zell had spoken, a worried frown crossing her face. "I can see Squall holing himself up, but it's just not like Seifer to do the same. He must be taking this whole thing really hard," she deduced, biting her lip slightly.

"Well, after we visit Squall and bring him back to the land of the living, we'll have to go stop by Seifer's dorm as well," Selphie announced matter-of-factly, leaving no room for arguments, which would most likely come from Zell.

Everyone nodded their agreement, some more reluctantly than others. Quiet descended again as they continued down the hallway on route to Squall's dorm, which was only a few doors down by now.

Stopping abruptly as they came to the Commander's Quarters, they all stood in silence as Quistis removed the master keycard from her pocket. Silently sliding the card through the scanner to the right of the door, attempting not to alert Squall to their presence, she carefully pushed the door open as access was granted, a green light letting the group know that they were in the clear.

Stepping inside and holding the door open for the rest of the group to enter behind her, Quistis gestured for them to be silent until they were all inside and the door was closed once more. "Squall?" she called out softly, though she doubted that he would answer her. "Squall?" she tried again, still to no avail.

"Maybe he's asleep," Selphie suggested in a whisper, glancing around the apartment.

Quistis nodded in agreement to Selphie's deduction, hesitantly making her way to the bedroom door, which had been left open a crack. The room was dark, though that was nothing unexpected. Lifting a hand slowly to the door handle, Quistis suddenly paused as she heard a moan issue from inside the room. She frowned as she realized that Squall must be having a nightmare.

No longer hesitant to enter, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, the others close behind her. The sight that greeted her, however, made her stop dead in her tracks, color draining from her face and her eyes going wide in utter shock. She could tell the others were having similar reactions behind her from the way they had skidded to a stop as well and emitted small gasps as they too saw what had caused her to halt.

Clothes were strewn about the room haphazardly, Squall's bomber jacket and Seifer's grey trench coat clearly visible amidst the bunch. Of course, that wasn't the worst of it. Unfortunately Quistis had been mistaken in her assumption that Squall was having a nightmare and the moan that she had heard, now joined by others, was due to a very different reason.

Silhouetted in the far corner of the room in Squall's bed were two figures, one with blonde hair and the other with brown. Quistis knew, of course, that the two people were Seifer and Squall, though her brain didn't seem to be capable of actually accepting that fact. Especially when the two were going at it like rabid animals.

She wanted to leave, to clear her mind of what she had just witnessed, but she was rooted to the spot with her horror at the whole situation. Her spell-like state was suddenly broken as Selphie let out a loud, excited "Woo-hoo!"

Seifer and Squall, who up to this point hadn't taken any notice that they were no longer alone, suddenly turned toward the source of the noise with a start, Squall hastily shoving Seifer off and wrapping himself in his sheets. Seifer, growing angry rather than embarrassed as was his nature, growled as the group stood there ogling.

"Why don't you take a picture; it'll last longer!" he yelled, jumping from the bed, heedless of his state of undress, proceeding to push the startled bunch forcefully from the room, closing the door behind them to Selphie's protests.

"I wish I _did _have a camera," the girl muttered disappointedly under her breath as the rest stared at her in confounded bewilderment. Taking notice of the stares, Selphie shrugged. "What? That was _hott_!" she exclaimed in her defense, walking over to the couch and taking a seat.

Rinoa was the first to get over her shock aside from Selphie, following the other girl's lead and taking the seat next to her on the couch. "Well, that was…unexpected," she spoke uncertainly, still not over her initial shock.

Irvine, looking slightly traumatized, turned on the dark haired girl. "I thought you said they were fighting about _you _before!" Irvine accused, trying to make sense of what was going on.

Quistis too seemed upset at the turn of events. "Here they made me feel _so_ horrible for starting that rumor about them because the idea that they would _ever _get together was obviously _absurd _and now we walk in on them...on them--" she trailed off, not wanting to have to say aloud exactly what they had walked in.

Selphie however, wasn't so shy. "On them having mind blowing sex in Squall's bed?" Selphie supplied, a dreamy look crossing her face. Talking more to herself than anyone, she added wistfully, "I'm never using GFs again."

Zell, however, was thinking just about the opposite of Selphie, feeling that the sooner he forgot that particular memory the better. Of course, being as stricken as he was, his thoughts came out as more of an unintelligible mess of words. "Seifer and Squall...Hyne...Must find Quezycotyl...No, the horror!" Everyone ignored him for the most part.

Smiling suddenly in a way that made everyone else slightly suspicious, Selphie turned toward Quistis. "Guess this means that you were right after all, Quisty!" she exclaimed. "And that means that my plan _did _work," she added with a huge smirk. Turning toward Irvine and bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement, she held out her hand imploringly. "I win the bet! Pay up, Irvy. 100 Gil, remember?"

Looking as if he wanted to bang his head against the wall, Irvine reached into his pocket, grabbing a wad of cash and proceeding to count it out, muttering under his breath: "Yeah, I remember; I just wish that you didn't." Handing over 100 Gil and stuffing the rest back in his pocket, Irvine shook his head at Selphie. Giving her a slight glare, though still somewhat amused none the less he spoke what pretty much all of them were thinking at that moment: "Selphy, how is it that you're always right?"

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: First off, I hope you guys liked the fic. I had a lot of fun writing it, though it took me a while to do so. Secondly, I know that I should be working on some of my other fics; trust me, I will get to them. This idea just popped into my head and I had to write it. Besides, it's a one-shot, so it's not like I'm adding another fic that I'll need to work on to the list (although I _am_ thinking about writing a sequel if people want one). Anyway, feel free to make suggestions or comments; if you feel that something in the fic needs to be changed, just tell me and I'll take it into consideration. Thanks for reading! 


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